One Last Hope
by Ridley Poe Estoire
Summary: Sunnydale is gone but the fight is far from over.  Something powerful, apocalyptic is approaching but will an attachment to someone new make this a battle Buffy, Angel, and the gang don't want to fight...
1. Finders

**Author's note: **Song is Away From Me by Evanescence. Buffy & Angel belong to Joss Whedon. I claim nothing! This is just for fun and entertainment.

_I hold my breath as this life starts to take its toll,_

_I hide behind a smile as this perfect plan unfolds._

_But oh, God, I feel I've been lied to_

_Lost all faith in the things I have achieved_

_And I_

She'll never admit it, what she felt in that moment. She'll convince herself and everyone else that she had distrust already boiling up. Only, secretly, she knows the truth that she felt a bond, a familiarity.

Faith was training in Los Angeles, building up a growing discipline within her that kept her from going over the edge. On one of the darkest nights, Faith spent a few hours running the streets of Los Angeles, Spike and Buffy at her heels. They had decided to trail along to clock in some patrol time. Corner of Beverly Hills Blvd. and some other street, whose sign had long been stolen. That's when Faith felt the presence of strength and overwhelming power. She'll never tell that it wasn't a volatile or evil presence she felt. It was courageous and unattached, holding its own, grasping its life.

Faith paused beside the alley a moment, scanning the darkened pathway. Noticing nothing out of the ordinary, she started running again. Buffy followed suit, yet Spike took the time to glance down the alley after and came upon a limp form resting between two Dumpsters. His head cocked to the side as he gazed down upon the street urchin.

In his eyes, he viewed the filth laying in the trash as a beautiful vision. In his vampiric eyes, he saw something invisible to most, a soul, which couldn't have been possible her being what she was. Dirt and grease matted down hair that was so tainted it had no definite color. Blood and grime painted streaks on her fair skin and oozing gashes rode down her neck and arms.

Spike reached his strong arms down and gently hefted the girl into them. Something broke within him and he felt for her, a feeling only existent for one other person. Buffy.

"Buffy! Slayers! Halt the marathon for a bit. I think I found something."

Buffy and Faith were already pretty far, but they still managed to hear his calling. The two Slayers hauled it back, both glancing, grimacing at the girl limp in Spike's embrace. Spike's eyes darted back the way they had come, towards the direction where the Wolfram & Hart firm stood tall seemingly far in the dark horizon. The Slayers exchanged odd glances then headed off towards the firm, keeping at a slower rate for Spike to keep up.

Captain Peroxide couldn't help but stare at the bundle unconscious in his arms. Could he possibly know her somehow? He could see the things she'd done; yet he forgave her and knew nothing about her. What secrets lay within this child's mind?


	2. Distrust

I've woken now to find myself In the shadows of all I have created

_I'm longing to be lost in you_

_(away from this place I have made)_

_Won't you take me away from me_

He distrusted her the moment he felt her presence in the building. Angel couldn't understand how Spike could see exactly what she was and not be wary of her. Not to mention that if her presence here were revealed it would draw all sorts of dangerous and unwanted attention.

She wasn't a child by any standards, but to him she was too young to be such a creature of the night. He watched from the doorway as Spike laid her down upon the bed. Faith stood behind Angel, watching silently as Buffy wrung a wet washcloth and began wiping the blood and dirt from the girl's features.

" What is she, Angel?" Faith asked, uncertainly. "Nothing about her _feels_ human."

"That's because she's not, Faith. Walk with me." Angel responded, then headed down the hall towards the elevator. "We need to talk. I have a story for you."


	3. Cestrus Dominae

There was a faction born that all creatures of the dark have known as the "cestrus dominae", which in the cestrus' language means, "time assassins". They were said to be born of the very fabric of time, created to watch over all in every century.

In 3069, five cestrus were derived from a rip in time as the end of the world was beginning.

One crawled from the murky depths of the ocean, the second rode in with the strongest wind, the third appeared amongst a tower of flames, the fourth struggled from the damp earth, and the fifth escaped across the river Styx.

They became the guardians of water, air, fire, earth, and spirit and each were bestowed a name for those in need to call upon them. Water became Metra, air became Gayl, fire became Sylis, earth became Desparta, spirit became Rasyl.

All began well, each element taking care of his or her own duty, but soon each fell away from their calling and into darkness.

Desparta was the first to fall, too consumed by his power to control mortals. Metra fell second, drawn down by the power of telopathy, using it to reveal secrets of the very minds who created her. Sylis lost control with Gayl as both converged powers to redeem what they felt was theirs and to claim lives. Rasyl was the strongest, but still was overwhelmed by her power to distinguish devil from angel and created her own beings.

Their creators could barely hold control over the cestrus, so they came together and decided upon an action, equal to the cestrus' cruelty and ruthlessness. They would lock each one in a mortal form and trap them each in a separate, solitary century, where none could reach one another. Neither would they be able to pass through various dimensions nor wield the power they once had.

So the creators secretly built a staff from the five elements and molded five gems out of the blackened sands from a sacred valley. Each element was called upon and told that the gems would increase their powers ten-fold if placed in the heart, and each element carelessly thrust their gem into their heart.

The creators laughed mercilessly as each element was sucked through a portal and sealed in different centuries. The staff was hidden deep in the earth in the century 3069 as the last of the world faded away, never to be retrieved.

Only one flaw remained in the creators' plan: the cestrus would never age nor die as normal mortals did and soon, as time passed, they each would meet again.


End file.
